Record-Breaking 26-Foot Python Captured, Promptly Dies

Late last week, an absolutely ginormous python was found caught under a tree that had fallen near a Malaysian construction site. Its length has been pegged at 26 feet (8 metres), which, if verified, would make it the longest snake ever captured.

The snake, a reticulated python, was spotted from the air during a flyover in Paya Terubong, a district of Penang. Malaysia’s civil defense force was called in to deal with it (yes, really), and it took them a half hour to trap it. Sadly, it died on Sunday after giving birth, three days after it was captured. Or at least that’s the story we’re being given.

A member of the defence force toldThe Guardian that the python measures 26.2 feet (eight metres), which would be a world record. Currently, Guinness Records recognises the longest snake ever in captivity as Medusa, another reticulated python, which currently lives in Missouri. This behemoth measures 25.1 feet (7.67 metres) and weighs 158 kg. That’s over 90 kg lighter than the new Malaysian specimen.

It’s possible that larger snakes live in the wild. Back in 1912, a 32-foot-long (10 metre) python was reportedly discovered in Indonesia.